Dermal skin ulcers are an example of wounds that are particularly difficult to treat because they resist healing and consequently often become chronic wounds. Examples of chronic dermal ulcers include those resulting from venous disease (venous stasis ulcers), excessive pressure (decubitus ulcers), arterial ulcers and diabetic ulcers.
Diabetic ulcers are particularly problematic. For example, one in seven individuals with diabetes develops dermal ulcers on their extremities, which are susceptible to infection. Treatment of diabetic ulcers is often prolonged, intensive and costly and treatment failures are common. Current approaches include debridement, frequent changes of wound dressing, specially fitted footwear, oral or intravenous antibiotics, complete bed rest, lengthy hospitalization and surgical revascularization. Ulcer-related complications can in some cases require amputation. Therefore, there is a need for treatments which accelerate the rate of the healing of chronic dermal skin ulcers in general, and of diabetic ulcers, in particular.